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Volunteering Merton MVSC is committed to supporting and developing volunteering in Merton. We work with organisations to develop and match the skills and interests of new volunteers to volunteering opportunities. Working closely with voluntary, community organisations, public sector and local groups we led on campaigns to raise awareness of volunteering, to gain recognition for the contribution of volunteers and to highlight issues that affect volunteers. We held the successful Merton Partnership Volunteer Awards to recognise those individuals who gave their time and the organisations that supported them. We also organised a Trustee Networking Evening for those interested in becoming a trustee the chance to meet and talk to local voluntary organisations. We have developed and launched several new initiatives that aim to improve and enhance the experience of volunteers in Merton, whilst at the same time highlighting volunteer initiatives to help improve the lives of Merton residents. We continued to lead on the Merton Partnership Volunteering and Community Action strategy and supported a number of discrete projects and ongoing programmes of work with partners, including Manage Your Money, Dignity and Care and Dig Merton. We embraced the power of befriending and with the launch of both the pilot Merton Befriending Project and the Youth Action 970 Connect service, we were able to recruit and train volunteers to befriend both young and older people across the new volunteering borough. opportunities 2,462 new volunteers Recruited 142 volunteers with mental health difficulties and 5 supported volunteers are now in paid employment 222 Merton Libraries and Home Visits Library Service volunteers 80 Team Merton event volunteers 761 new volunteers aged 16-25 Our work Fayre and Square: sold a range of arts and crafts on behalf of 25-30 independent artisans and provided 10 week placements for volunteers to learn retail and customer service skills. The Avanti Club: set up a weekly club for people experiencing mental health difficulties, their friends and their carers. Merton Befriending Service: a partnership between MVSC, Age UK Merton, The Wimbledon Guild, Positive Network and Carers Support Merton to deliver high quality befriending services for isolated older people. Merton Libraries and Home Visits Library Service: recruited volunteers to support libraries and deliver books to housebound residents. Youth Action: supported disadvantaged young people and enabled them to volunteer within their local community whilst using that experience to enhance their personal development and employability skills. Supported Volunteering: supported young people and adults with mental health issues and disabilities to volunteer. Team Merton: made it quick and easy for Merton residents to give their time and do great things for their community. Youth Approved Volunteering Award: a youth led Quality Mark aimed at raising the standard of Youth Volunteering in Merton to ensure that young people are getting the best experience to enhance their personal and career development opportunities. Merton Good Neighbours Scheme: encouraged local residents to find ways to help neighbours in need. Disclosure and Barring Service: As an Umbrella Body, carried out DBS checks for local VCS organisations.
What does 2015/2016 hold for volunteering in Merton? We have some exciting developments planned during the next 12 months, including the launch of our brand new interactive Merton volunteering website. This new site will provide an innovative system for organisations in Merton to create and advertise volunteering their roles, whilst providing volunteers with an intuitive platform to search and apply for local volunteering opportunities. MacMillan Coffee Moring at Fayre and Square MVSC, working in partnership with Value You and LBM will be launching the Merton Value You scheme, providing a volunteer recognition scheme for people who undertake community volunteering within their community. Volunteers completing 100 hours of volunteering in their community will be able to benefit from a range of discounts and gift vouchers from participating businesses. We are delighted to have gained support from BBC Children in Need, which builds upon our existing Youth Action Programme, funded by LBM. This new 3 year project will allow us to increase capacity for youth volunteering and launch our brand new youth befriending service, Youth Action Connect. Through this service, we will be working with disadvantaged 16-18 year olds to reduce isolation and increase aspirations through a peer befriending support programme. ________________________________________________ “The volunteering I have been supported into by MVSC has helped my communication skills develop. My confidence in dealing with people I don't know has increased and I am more approachable.” Youth Action Volunteer ________________________________________________ Youth Action Connect Launch The Avanti Club Team London Recruitment Session Corporate Volunteering
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Page 4 and 5: This annual review is a snapshot of
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Page 16: Our team Adele Williams Information

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